Tauck Partners with Filmmaker Ken Burns

Roger Saterstrom, Tauck’s product manager for North America, and Ken Burns roughing out one of the new itineraries being launched as part of the “Ken Burns American Journeys” partnership with Tauck.

In a dramatic move with the potential to expand U.S. tour sales, Tauck reports that it has signed a multi-year partnership with the award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his longtime collaborator Dayton Duncan. One result is the “Ken Burns American Journeys” partnership that will develop new domestic itineraries.

Duncan and Burns are known for exploring American culture and history in highly-regarded films including “The Civil War,” “Baseball,” “Jazz” and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” They will work with Tauck on several projects including developing new journeys and creating special events that feature appearances by the filmmakers.

“Tauck has been telling the story of America’s history and culture to our guests for 85 years, and adding Ken’s and Dayton’s unique voice to our efforts will take our guests’ experiences to an even higher level,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar.

Burns added that his and Duncan’s goals in filmmaking closely mirror Tauck’s mission with its domestic travel experiences. “Our films and Tauck’s U.S. journeys are about sharing America’s story in a memorable and compelling way,” said Burns. “We both try to engage our audiences, increase their knowledge, and make strong emotional connections with the people and stories from America’s past that help define who we are today.”

“The “Ken Burns American Journeys” partnership will initially focus the efforts of Burns, Duncan and Tauck in three areas; developing new domestic itineraries, creating special signature events featuring appearances by Burns and/or Duncan, and producing a series of short films for use by Tauck on a number of its U.S. journeys.

The exclusive films will be aired on-tour, and besides sharing the filmmaker’s perspectives, they’ll convey the history, the cultural significance and the personal stories of the people who shaped the places Tauck guests are visiting during their trip, Mahar said.

“The possibilities represented by this partnership are endless,” said Mahar, “and much of Ken’s and Dayton’s past work aligns perfectly with destinations where Tauck already has, or can easily add, trips.” More specifically, Mahar cited “The Civil War” series and areas connected with the conflict, noting that the 150th anniversary of the war begins in 2011.

He also pointed to last year’s six-part Burns/Duncan series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Tauck has been showcasing various U.S. National Parks on its itineraries since 1926, and today the company visits more than two dozen National Parks, battlefields, historic sites, and other locations that are part of the National Park system.